Authorities warn of lottery scams targeting Hispanics, seniors

Scams involving the lottery are targeting two of Florida’s largest populations: Hispanics and senior citizens.

In Collier County, deputies say the scammers are targeting Hispanics. The con artist approaches the victim and says in Spanish that he or she is unable to cash a Florida Lottery ticket due to being in the country illegally.

The scammer promises the victim a cut of the winnings if he or she will put up money to pay the fees or taxes.

“This is a scam that we see from time to time,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Michelle Batten said. “We’ve had one every month since the start of the year, so we thought it would be a good idea to kind of remind people that this is a scam.”

Sometimes, a second suspect who pretends not to know the first scammer is involved. The second person pretends to overhear the conversation and agrees to put up part of the fees or taxes if the victim will put up the rest, deputies say.

This year alone, Collier detectives have taken three reports of the lottery scam. In all three cases, the victims were Hispanic and gave the suspects a large amount of cash.

Detectives say immigration status does not prevent anyone from cashing a lottery ticket in Florida, and any taxes would be deducted from the winnings and don’t have to be paid up front.

Florida’s senior population also is being targeted by a lottery scam involving Jamaican fraudsters, officials say. The scammers call victims telling them they’ve won a foreign lottery and then ask for an advance payment to cover taxes and fees, officials say.

The callers then delay paying the lottery winnings and, over time, continue to come up with excuses for why they need more money. Authorities say the scammers often use an 876 Jamaican area code.

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson met with law enforcement officials and victims’ advocates in Miami to address the scams. Nelson and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, both of whom work on the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging, have scheduled a March 13 hearing in Washington, D.C., to further investigate.

“It’s despicable that these crooks are preying on our most vulnerable seniors who sometimes have difficulty remembering important details,” Nelson said.

The Federal Trade Commission said there were about 30,000 complaints about the Jamaican lottery scam in 2011, although it estimates up to 90 percent of the scams go unreported because victims are afraid or embarrassed to report them.

Sheriff’s Offices in both Lee and Collier counties have set up fraud hotlines where residents can speak with an expert if they believe they are being victimized.

In Lee County, residents can call 239-477-1242. In Collier, the number is 239-252-CALL (2255).